Co-op farmers are laying a network of ‘bee’ roads throughout the UK to support pollinators and promote bio-diversity. Right across the country, their farms have hit over a 1,000 miles of hedgerows which can boost the environment and protect local habitats.

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First year figures uncovered by the ethical retailer’s latest environment-impact measurement tool, Enviro-Map, has uncovered the extent of agri-environmental schemes adopted by the farmers in their seven producer groups. Results show there are:

• 1000 miles (1633 km) of hedgerows that are managed across the farming groups – enough to stretch from London to Lisbon
• 1,400 hectares of woodland including native, coniferous and broadleaf areas – the same size as occupied by Los Angeles International Airport
• 455 hectares of watercourses and wetlands that provide habitats for species such as Kingfisher and Lapwing – around 16 tennis courts
• 116 hectares of wildflower meadows – enough to fill 140 full size football pitches
• 100 devices on farms to encourage wildlife into natural habitats including bird boxes, bee hives and beetle banks.

Caroline Morris of Manor Farm, which is part of the Co-op’s Beef Farming Group, has planted wildflower margins around the field boundaries on her Buckinghamshire farm.

She said: “The wildflowers look fantastic in the summer and they’ve certainly increased the number of butterflies on the farm. Our neighbour, who produces honey, has found an increase in production since our wildflowers have been in place so there has clearly been an increase in the number of bees in the area.”

Co-op Enviro-Map data also shows that renewable energy is a major focus for the 400 farmers who have taken part in the self-assessment programme, with 20 million kilowatt hours of energy being produced every year – enough to power 5,000 homes.

What’s more, nearly 80% of farms export the equivalent of the electricity they consume with over two-thirds (65%) favouring solar panels and a further 16% opting for wind turbines. 

Matt Hood, Co-op’s trading director, said: “The need to create a more sustainable approach to farming and food production is just as important as producing high-quality, fairly-priced food and we can only achieve this with regular and reliable measurement of our producers. We are delighted to see that in year one alone, they are already offsetting their farming practises by contributing heavily to improved biodiversity levels which are so utterly critical to the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

The Co-op’s Enviro-Map is a three-year project that has been pioneered in association with Alltech E-CO2 to chart the environmental impact of its farming groups. Using the world’s first Carbon Trust accredited self-entry carbon footprint assessment for farmers, it has an overall aim to improve on-farm efficiency and reduce carbon footprint in a cost-effective way.